


Korra Hates Banquets (and the Earth Queen)

by FrantheAnne



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-06 23:58:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1877349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrantheAnne/pseuds/FrantheAnne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra is supposed to mingle with Earth Kingdom nobles at a banquet to garner support for their search for airbenders in Ba Sing Se. Instead she's hiding in a powder-room lounge. Asami finds her and a pep talk ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Korra Hates Banquets (and the Earth Queen)

Korra did not like being forced to interact with people. She never knew what to say, and she hated it because they either expected her to be this eloquent educated person who used multi-syllabic words every sentence, or some muscle-brained idiot who couldn't string a coherent, much less relevant sentence together if her life depended on it. She especially hated talking to stuffy Earth Kingdom nobility who couldn't tell their heads apart from their-

"Ahem."

Korra looked up sheepishly to find Asami glaring at her rather sternly.

"I was saying all that out loud, wasn't I?"

Asami nodded her head, an eyebrow raised wryly.

She moved closer and placed her hands over Korra's tightly clenched ones. Korra had tightly grasped the fabric of her dinner gown in her fists, and had probably wrinkled the poor garment beyond immediate repair. Asami smoothed the material over Korra's legs and covered Korra's hands in hers.

"What are you doing in here? Everyone's looking for you. The nobles are going stir-crazy, and we were worried something had happened to you," It had taken some searching, but Asami finally found her errant friend in the lounge of a dimly lit powder room. "Korra, you know how important this is, what are you-"

She paused when she saw the miserable look Korra wore.

Asami's glare faded and instead a look of sympathy look its place. "You know, we'll be here with you the entire time, right?"

"But-"

"No "but"s, Korra. You know you have to make a good impression on these nobles, otherwise we'll never get enough backing to let the queen sanction our search for Airbenders here in Ba Sing Se, much less in the territories surrounding the city."

Korra looked pitifully at Asami, "Couldn't we just do it under the radar? That Vulture Queen-"

Asami had to stifle a laugh at that, "Vulture Queen? She hardly looks like a Vul-"

"Have you seen the things she wears on her fingers? They're terrifying! And her cheeks are all sunken in and her face is all pointy and scary looking!" Korra exclaimed, her features animated, "Any way that Vulture Queen doesn't have to know that we're looking for airbenders! We can just find them and bring them to the Northern Air Temple with us and-"

"And have her come after us for the kidnapping of Earth Kingdom citizens?" Asami interrupted. "Korra, you know as well as I do that if we don't get her approval to search for airbenders, she's going to come after us and whatever airbenders we manage to recruit with a vengeance. We might as well do our best to get her approval, and then if we can't do that get enough backing from the noble members of her court so that she can't do anything about it."

Korra sighed, slumping in her chair. "You're right," she mumbled forlornly, "But I really hate these dinner gathering things."

Asami laughed at the pitiful look on Korra's face.

"Oh come on Korra, it can't really be-"

Korra glared at Asami. "It's really that bad."

Asami paused, shocked. "Really?"

"I have to be absolutely perfect. I have to be quiet and polite but outspoken about my opinions, but not too outspoken because it's not proper. I have to be elegant and eloquent but not snobby, and I have to be intelligent and make good observations but I can't be too intelligent because otherwise my conversation partner will think I'm being arrogant. I have to be outspoken but not too outspoken because people probably don't want to hear my opinion, I have to be stern and diplomatic whilst pushing my own beliefs and I have to know when to compromise because I can't always get what I want."

Asami started to reply when Korra interrupted, "Oh, I'm not done yet. No, I need to strongly and clearly state my opinions because....."

At this point Asami started to tune Korra out. The list was long and exhausting and Korra was obviously kidding, or at least Asami hoped she was, when she listed off these criteria, because she never bothered to follow them.

".... and it's hardest because I'm female because on top of all of that I need to be pretty and attractive and I can't chew loudly or slurp my drinks or take too-big bites of food or eat too slowly or too quickly and I'd probably be better off not eating at all except that would offend the host."

Korra's eyes met Asami's miserably. "I hate these banquets and I never want to go to another one ever again. But I have to. Because we need to find these airbenders."

Korra sighed and tipped her chin towards her chest, eyes downcast and feeling miserable not for the first time that day, when one of Asami's hands moved from atop Korra's tightly clenched fingers to Korra's shoulder.

"Hey," Asami chastised lowly, "You might have had to go through all that alone before, but you've got us now. Team Avatar, right? We're your friends, Korra, and we'll be helping you deal with those snobby upper-class buzzard wasps every single step of the way. You won't have to work alone with them anymore."

Korra looked up at Asami, gratitude displayed widely on her features.

"You know what? You're right."

Korra grinned, tension easing away from her shoulders.

"I've got you guys to help me, don't I?"

Korra stood up sharply, and took Asami's hands in hers. "We can do this! I can do this!"

She tugged Asami in for a tight hug, and thanked her. 

"Thanks to you I actually feel like I can do this. Thanks, Asami, you're the best."

When Korra pulled back, a determined light had entered her eyes. "We're gonna make all those nobles agree to help us! We got this! Let's get back out there and kick some butt!"

She strode off confidently, leaving a stunned Asami in her wake.

Flushed a light shade of pink, Asami stood stock still, unable to move. 

_As long as I can get through the night without getting a nosebleed at the sight of Korra in her dress, I should be fine._

_Right?_


End file.
